Wednesday, December 22, 2010

President Obama's First Time Home Buyer Stimulus - Making New Homes Affordable


In an effort to stem the decline in the American economy caused by the 2008 third quarter recession, President Obama and his government has ratified a 2009 economic stimulus plan that will help in many different ways. Everyone has been affected in some way by the most recent financial problems and is having trouble meeting their responsibilities. It was thought that the citizens that were most affected were those who had negotiated a very high interest rate home loan and were now having trouble paying their monthly mortgage bill. The First Time Home Buyer Stimulus was created specifically to help first time homeowners keep their homes by offering easier terms and lowering their interest rate.

When people buy a house, they are not just forming a home; they are making an investment as well. Buying and decorating a home is an emotional journey and involves a lot of sentiment. Many years of work, much planning and a lot of saving precedes the purchase. If, because of financial difficulties, the home is on the brink of foreclosure, the pain is not just about losing a house, but about losing the memories and the hope associated with it. There is very little that matches the emotions involved in a home. The government has formed a package for first time homeowners so they can afford their homes.

These plans have made buying a home easier and much more affordable for people who have delayed their home purchase because of the recession. First time homeowners are now usually offered a lower and a fixed interest rate. The amount of the fixed rate is determined by the monthly income of the borrower, so they are able to pay their installments. Tax rebates are also offered and every month this money can be used for general daily expenses.

There are people who have made significant sacrifices in order to save for their home. With this stimulus package they are now able to add eating out or taking a holiday to their lives. In this way the stimulus package doesn't just benefit the real estate market but the overall economy and may possibly create jobs. When the customer to spending ratio is increased, all areas of life and all elements of society will be affected.








For tips and facts about how you can benefit from Obama's Home Stimulus Plan - or to find out if you qualify, visit our no nonsense home stimulus guide: http://firsttimehomebuyerstimulus.net


Different Home Loan Offers For Great Canadian Mortgage Rates


One excellent location to transfer and own a dream home is in Canada. The views are panoramic, the weather is fantastic and the environment is like a great combination of modernization and unspoiled tourist destinations. Aside from the mentioned reasons, many people from all parts of the world are migrating to Canada because of its flexible home loans. As of now, most banks in Canada are offering at least 4 different kinds of home loans that would fit the financial limits and payment preferences of someone who is looking for a mortgage in the country. And each type of home loan certainly gives different Canadian mortgage rates.

The first current offer typical in most mortgage companies in Canada is the Closed Variable Interest Canadian Mortgage Rate with a five-year closed term. In this type of mortgage, the interest rate is given every month, on the first day. There are several payment options depending on the financial capability of the one who wants to get a home loan. They may pay weekly, every other week, every month or every other month. The financial availability may either be high-ratio or conventional. The down payment can be as low as five percent of the total home loan. The Canadian mortgage rates for this type of offer ranges from 5.5 percent up to 5.75 percent. Another five-year mortgage offer is the Fixed Mortgage Rate. However, the Canadian mortgage rates for this one varies from 6 percent up to 6.38 percent. The five-year mortgage, may it be closed or fixed, is applicable for residential properties.

There are also seven-year fixed mortgages in Canada. What's good about this offer is that it would give back a seven percent rebate of the total value of the mortgage. The term can extend up to ten years. The payment options for this kind of mortgage offer are also flexible. Moreover, the interest in the Canadian mortgage rates is not subjected to change. Currently, the rate for this type of mortgage is 7.65 percent. The seven percent cash back can definitely give more savings that they could spend for a new furniture in their newly through-loan acquired dream home. However, this is mortgage is only applied for those who are applying for a residential home loan. There is also a maximum amount of thirty-five thousand dollars. If the loan applied exceeded the maximum amount, the seven percent cash rebate is no longer applicable.








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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Short Sell My Home? A Short Sale Can Provide Mortgage Relief and Opportunity!


There are millions of individuals across the country facing financial disadvantage and ruin. The two greatest disadvantages are both job loss, and carrying an underwater mortgage. Job loss is significant simply because with loss of an income, it often times results in loss of purchasing opportunities, or ability to maintain monthly financial obligations. With an underwater mortgage, considering this to be one of the largest investment opportunity most individuals will make within their lives, paying for a home worth significantly less than the mortgage note, can feel overwhelming. Should job loss occur along side an upside down mortgage, the stress can overcome many individuals.

Short sale opportunities have changed the way individuals take care of their personal finances. Rather than pay for an over inflated mortgage, individuals now have a potential opportunity to sell their home for the current market price without penalty, or in some extreme cases, allow a homeowner to repurchase their home for the discounted market price.

Under the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, sellers who participate in short sales, have the opportunity to structure any mortgage debt which has been forgiven, as excluded from annual tax obligation. This opportunity is currently available to homeowners until the year 2012. It is important to note that this can be an incentive for financial institutions to work with individuals, as it is rarely known, these institutions not only earn income on typical lending, some lending institutions can also earn income foreclosing on a home, as well as structuring short sales.

In a rarer event, sellers can sometimes negotiate to repurchase their same home at a lesser value. Should your credit score along with financial situation allow, and a short sale become approved through your lender, you may have the opportunity to work through a local lending institution to secure a new mortgage to bid on your own home. This process requires more risk, as most lenders will only work with homeowners whom are not current on payment, however, the reward could turn out to be very beneficial to the home owner. Because short sales are not treated the same as a foreclosure on your credit report, you may qualify for a new mortgage right away through a separate lender. This opportunity is also time sensitive, so acting quickly is a must.

A short sale record will appear as a negative mark on your credit report for eighteen months, as opposed to a foreclosure which can display for upwards of ten years. Financial planning should to be considered before your credit score is impacted. In the scenario where one homeowner was able to acquire a new mortgage through a local lending institution, and apply it against her current mortgage which was approved for a short sale to herself, she took advantage of her credit score while still in respectable condition, and applied for an automotive loan. She successfully applied and secured this automotive loan to purchase a newer vehicle. This was in anticipation of her credit score falling due to the coming short sale, but acting in time to take advantage of this opportunity.

Understanding the situation and opportunities presented, may allow homeowners options to improve their financial footing.








For further tips and secrets on mortgage relief, please visit http://mortgagerefinancetips.info. You will find articles that outline Short Sale Tips as well as mortgage refinance secrets, which may greatly improve your financial position.


Home Equity Loan or Cash Out Mortgage Refinance


If you are a homeowner interested in cashing out equity in your home, how do you know if a home equity loan or refinancing with cash back is a better choice for you? Here is what you need to know in order to make an informed decision.

Home equity loans and cash out mortgage refinancing both have their benefits. Choosing the right option for you means determining how you can access your equity without paying too much in fees and interest.

Refinancing your mortgage with cash back means you are refinancing your primary mortgage for a higher amount than you currently owe. The difference between your original mortgage and the new one is your equity.

Home equity loans come in two flavors: 2nd mortgages and home equity lines of credit. A 2nd mortgage will provide you a lump sum at a fixed interest rate. Home equity lines of credit function like a credit card account tied to your home equity with a variable interest rate.

If the amount you are looking to borrow is small you could save money in fees by taking out a home equity loan unless you have already been considering refinancing your mortgage for a lower or fixed interest rate. Home equity loans are useful for accessing smaller amounts of equity and can provide you a revolving credit line. This is a better option if you want to pay off the loan quickly and not be overwhelmed with lender fees.

If you have been considering refinancing or wish to borrow a large amount of your home's equity, cash out refinancing would be a better option. This could allow you to improve your loan terms or interest rate and lower your monthly payment while accessing the equity in your home.

To learn more about deciding which home financing option is right for you sign up for a free mortgage and home equity guidebook.








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Louie Latour has twenty years of experience in the mortgage industry as a mortgage broker. He is the owner of Mortgages Refinance Advisor, a mortgage help site devoted to saving homeowners money with a free guidebook ?Mortgage Refinance: What You Need to Know.?

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Monday, December 20, 2010

Home Improvement: Home Equity Line of Credit versus Mortgage Refinance


Making home improvements, home remodeling, adding onto a home and debt consolidation are some of the most popular reasons people cash out on their home equity. But the question is, which should you choose, mortgage refinancing or a home equity line of credit (HELOC)?

A mortgage refinance loan is when you replace your current mortgage with a new loan. People refinance their mortgages for a variety of reasons including, refinancing from adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) to fixed interest rate ones, liquidating equity into cash (cash-out refinance) or to reduce monthly payments and extend the loan term. A mortgage refinance has the same costs as a mortgage, such as loan application fees, loan origination fees, and appraisal fees.

A variable rate HELOC, where the interest rate and annual percentage rate (APR) can move up or down, depending on the Prime Rate published daily in the Wall Street Journal, is one of two popular second mortgage options, with the other being a home equity installment loan (HEIL). HELOC second mortgages provide you with the flexibility of borrowing all or part of your equity and you only pay interest on what you use unlike a HEIL or refinance. Because HELOCs work like credit cards, you can pay down your balance and borrow again without having to apply for a new loan. And, according to ehow.com, there are no closing costs for second mortgages, as there are with refinancing.

If you have an adjustable rate or high interest rate mortgage that you want to refinance into a lower fixed rate while cashing out on equity for home improvements or other purposes, a mortgage refinance may work the best for you. However, according to ERATE.com, if the rate on your existing first mortgage is substantially lower than that of current market rates and if you have been making payments on your mortgage for a period of five years or more, then a second mortgage may be a more sensible financial solution than starting over with a new first loan.








Maria Ny is a respected free-lance writer from San Diego, California. She has written many articles that covered a broad range of subjects ranging from Refurbishing Homes, Bankruptcy Reform, Credit Repair to Subordinate Financing. Check out her helpful articles online at BD Home Equity Loans.

You can learn more about financing home improvements and get additional loan program parameters. Get a free loan quote for a 125% home equity loans. We suggest you get more information and learn more about the guidelines for home improvement credit lines that could help increase the equity in your home by increasing its? value.


With Obama's New Housing Plan, Everyone Keeps Their Home


Under the Obama new housing plan, everyone keeps their home. That's the plan. Many people who qualify for the program still have not either heard about it, or they haven't taken advantage of the opportunity. Many people simply do not know if it applies to them or not.

As an example, let's take Jerry from Springfield, Ohio. He has owned his home for 20 years now and has refinanced 3 times in that period. Until last year, he was working full time as a warehouse supervisor making around $50,000 a year. He budgeted his income well and kept his expenses low. With just his modest home payment of $1,200, a $250 car payment and $150 in credit card bills, he was looking at ways to pay off his mortgage early. That is until business slowed down and he was laid off last September.

After months of search he finally found a job paying him just over $30,000 a year. With his mortgage 3 months behind he no longer was looking for ways to pay off the mortgage faster, he just wanted to save his home.

A quick search online found him reading an article on the BOA new housing stimulus plan which he felt could help him. He found that the Obama mortgage adjustment program was exactly what he needed so he contacted BOA and applied.

Initially, he was concerned that he was already too far behind in payments and he would face foreclosure before the modification went through. He was quickly put at easy by his representative who explained that once his application was submitted, all foreclosure proceedings immediately stopped. This is one of the guidelines under the Obama new stimulus for mortgages.

Jerry has since been approved for his modification and is now comfortable making his mortgage payments again. A welcome relief that has put him back on track and thinking of ways to pay off the mortgage faster once again.








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Sunday, December 19, 2010

How Do Home Equity Loans Work as Second Mortgages?


Writer Dan Ackman notes in an article at http://www.forbes.com that a recent report by Goldman Sachs shows "in 2004, Americans withdrew $640 billion in equity from their homes--by selling them, taking home equity loans or by refinancing. This was twice the total of 2001, showing that cash-outs have been rising even faster than home prices, which is very fast indeed." No doubt about it, Americans are using their equity!

The home equity process is streamlined these days as more and more consumers utilize their computers in acquiring loans. Information is limitless on the internet with websites such as http://www.about.com and search engines allowing consumers to answer their questions with a few keystrokes. Gone are the days of going from bank to bank to find the best rate and product. Loan applications now start online. There's no time better than the present to take a closer look at how equity loans work and how to make your equity work for you.

What is a Home Equity Loan?

Equity loans are 2nd mortgages that are secured by the value of your home. Today you can get a 2nd mortgage without having to refinance your current mortgage. The amount of equity available to you is based on the loan to value ratio, which is the value of the loan against the fair market value of your home. So a loan of $65,000 on a $100,000 home has a loan to value ratio of 65 percent. The standard ratio is 80%, but some lenders have loans with a loan to value of 100% or even 125%.

There are two types of these second mortgages. You can either get a home equity line of credit (HELOC) or a home equity loan. An HELC works much like a credit card. It's a revolving line of credit that can be paid off and used again. Equity lines of credit however, have a variable interest rate. Home equity loans on the other hand, involve getting all of your cash out at once and have a fixed interest rate. These work more like a standard loan.

Are Second Mortgages Right for you?

Home equity loans are considered as secure as a primary mortgage and usually the home equity rate is lower rate than credit cards and auto loans. This lower rate can make an equity loan a good choice for home improvement financing, loan consolidation and tuition expenses. The lower rate can mean monthly savings if you consolidate your debt. The interest can also be a tax deduction. Depending on your situation, this savings may make a home equity loan a good choice for you.

Home equity terms vary depending on the product. They will also depend on your credit score. Good credit will give you more options than bad credit. Home equity loans also have varying costs. There may be closing costs, appraisals, credit reports and points you will need to factor in to the cost of the loan. You should also be aware that if you refinance your existing first mortgage, the lender that holds the second mortgage must sign a subordination agreement, or the loan must be paid off with your new mortgage. The best loan for you will depend on your situation. If you know how your equity loan works, you can make sure that it works for you.








Rebecca is a free-lance writer and author of nine books on a variety of subjects. She is also a regular contributor Desert Magazine.

To get learn more about home equity loan programs, please check out the Home Equity Loan Center. To get more useful tips and information about second mortgage loans for people with all types of credit, please visit Second Mortgages & Equity Credit Lines.